Share this with

Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura capped off a perfect day as he was voted SPFA Player of the Year last night.

The Japan international, 28, beat off strong competition from team-mates Lee Naylor and Artur Boruc, as well as Aberdeen skipper Russell Anderson, to pick up the prize at a ceremony in Glasgow.

The award came just hours after Celtic clinched the Bank of Scotland Premier League title following his superb last-gasp winner at Kilmarnock, earning the Hoops a 2-1 win.

But the modest midfielder was keen to play down his own role this season, insisting every single player in the Parkhead dressing room deserved recognition for their achievements.

He said: “I’m very pleased but this isn’t something you can get on your own – it’s down to the whole team and also the supporters.

“All the players deserved to get this award. For example, a player like Neil Lennon is not really in the limelight but he is so important in the background and without players like him we wouldn’t have our style of play.”

Nakamura also won Goal of the Season for his cheeky lob against Dundee United on Boxing Day, which earned Celtic a 2-2 draw.

He added: “I remember we were 2-1 down at the time and it was a very hard game.

“I’m pleased to get the award but every goal is the same to me, they are all important.” There were more celebrations in the Celtic camp when Gordon Strachan was named Manager of the Year.

The Hoops boss was not at the Thistle Hotel to collect his award, which was accepted on his behalf by his captain, Neil Lennon.

“He has been great for me,” the skipper said. “We have a great professional relationship and I’ve really enjoyed the last two years.

“He has actually prolonged my career because I wasn’t going to play as long as I have done, but to have this luck and success has been fantastic.”

Lennon added: “I don’t think we were favourites to win the league this year but his team has blown the opposition away.

“We also made the last 16 of the Champions League and we are the first Scottish team to have done that and win the league, so he has done a magnificent job.”

However, there was to be no clean-sweep for Celtic, with Aiden McGeady beaten to the Young Player of the Year by Kilmarnock’s Steven Naismith.

Naismith, 20, picked up the same award from the Scottish Football Writers last year and was thrilled to complete a personal double.

The young striker said: “I’m a bit shocked to be honest but I’m delighted.

“I said when I won the award last year that I didn’t want to be remembered as a one-hit wonder and hopefully I’ve shown this season that I can still hold my own.”

Other winners on the night were: Colin McMenamin (First Division Player of the Year); Iain Russell (Second Division Player of the Year); Scott Chaplain (Third Division Player of the Year); Falkirk (Community Club of the Year); Eusebio (Special Merit Award).